List of Irish people

This is a list of famous Irish people.

It covers
* People who were born on the "island of Ireland" and/or who have lived there for most of their lives.
* People who, though not necessarily ever having been born or lived in Ireland, have been raised as Irish, and/or have adopted Irish citizenship (e.g., Daniel Day-Lewis).

Use of the term "Irish".It should be remembered that not everyone born on the island of Ireland sees themselves as Irish, as is commonly assumed by outsiders. Particularly in Northern Ireland, some also regard themselves as British or do not regard themselves as Irish at all. In Northern Ireland in particular, there is no common consensus on what the term "Irish" entails. Because Northern Ireland is part of the UK, those born in the province are automatically entitled to British and/or Irish citizenship.

It should not be assumed that all individuals on this list consider themselves "Irish".

:"See also: Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland":"See also: Northern Ireland"

Perhaps because of the extent of Irish emigration, talented people of Irish birth or descent have become known throughout the world.

Art

Architecture

* George Ashlin
* George Drumgoole Coleman
* Sir Thomas Drew
* Eileen Gray
* James Hoban, designer of White House
* Francis Johnston
* James Joseph McCarthy
* Thomas Parke
* Edward Lovett Pearce
* Kevin Roche
* Michael Scott

Actors

* Jonas Armstrong, star of the BBC series Robin Hood
* Patrick Bergin, Film actor
* Stephen Boyd, Film actor
* Kenneth Branagh, Actor on stage, film and TV, The Harry Potter movies
* George Brent, Hollywood actor
* Pierce Brosnan, best known as "James Bond" from 1994 to 2005
* Gabriel Byrne, TV and film actor
* Elaine Cassidy, Film Actress
* Catherine Cusack, stage and TV actor, daughter of Cyril Cusack
* Cyril Cusack, actor of stage, film and TV (born in South Africa)
* Niamh Cusack, TV actress, daughter of Cyril Cusack
* Sinéad Cusack, stage, film and TV actress, daughter of Cyril Cusack, married to Jeremy Irons
* Sorcha Cusack, Film and TV actress, daughter of Cyril Cusack
* Daniel Day-Lewis, British-born Oscar winner
* Patrick Dempsey best known for his role in Grey's Anatomy
* Alison Doody, Actress best known for her role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
* Roma Downey, Actor best known for her role as Monica in the TV series "Touched By An Angel"
* Hilton Edwards, co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
* Colin Farrell, Hollywood Actor
* Barry Fitzgerald, Abbey Theatre actor turned Hollywood star
* Fionnula Flanagan, Actress
* Brenda Fricker, Oscar winner
* Bronagh Gallagher, Actress
* Sir Michael Gambon, Theatre, TV and film actor, e.g. "Harry Potter" films
* Brendan Gleeson, Actor, e.g. "Harry Potter" films
* Richard Harris, Actor, e.g. "Harry Potter" films
*David Kelly, Actor
* Evanna Lynch, Actress, Luna Lovegood in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
* Joe Lynch, TV actor
* Susan Lynch, Actor, appeared in "Nora", "The Secret of Roan Inish", "Waking Ned"
* Micheál MacLiammóir, co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
* Patrick McGoohan, actor and creator of "The Prisoner"
* Barry McGovern, Stage, Film and TV actor
* Colm Meaney, Hollywood actor
* Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Film and TV actor
* Charles Mitchel, Actor and Newsreader
* Cillian Murphy, Actor
* Devon Murray, Actor, Seamus Finnigan in the first five "Harry Potter" movies
* Liam Neeson, Actor
* Jim Norton, Character actor
* Ardal O'Hanlon Actor/comedian
* Maureen O'Hara, Actress
* Milo O'Shea, Actor
* Maureen O'Sullivan, Actor, mother of Mia Farrow
* Peter O'Toole, Oscar winner
* Jason Priestley Actor
* Glenn Quinn, Actor
* Stephen Rea, Actor
* Fiona Shaw, Actress, The Harry Potter movies
* Arthur Shields, Actor (younger brother of Barry Fitzgerald)
* Niall Toibin, Actor and comedian
* Stuart Townsend, actor and boxer
* Joanne King, Actress

Comedians

"See also "
* Dave Allen, Comedian
* Ed Byrne, Comedian
* George Carlin, Comedian
* Risteard Cooper, Comedian
* Neil Delamere, Comedian
* Brendan Grace, Comedian
* Sean Hughes, Comedian
* John Kenny, Comedian
* Denis Leary, Comedian
* Andrew Maxwell, Comedian
* Dylan Moran, Comedian
* Colin Murphy, Comedian
* Dara Ó Briain, Comedian
* Conan O'Brien, Comedian
* Ardal O'Hanlon, Comedian
* David O'Doherty, Comedian
* Pat Shortt, Comedian
* Tommy Tiernan, Comedian
* Harry Bailey, Comedian

Music

Music - Individuals

Music - Individuals - A to C

* Gerald Barry, Aosdána
* Derek Bell, harpist
* Mary Bergin, tin whistler
* Wallis Bird, singer, songwriter
* Frances Black, singer
* Mary Black, singer
* Paul Brady, singer
* Big Tom, lead singer of Big Tom And The Mainliners
* Bono (real name: Paul Hewson), lead singer of U2
* Ciaran Bourke, singer/guitarist
* Brídín Brennan, singer
* Moya Brennan, musician
* Joe Burke, accordionist
* Kevin Burke, fiddler
* Nicky Byrne, singer of Westlife, songwriter
* Eamonn Campbell, guitarist/producer
* Vivian Campbell, co-lead guitarist of Def Leppard
* Sean Cannon, singer/guitarist
* Paddy Casey, singer/songwriter
* Patrick Cassidy, composer
* Willie Clancy, uilleann piper
* Julia Clifford, traditional fiddle player
* Michael Coleman, fiddler
* Finghin Collins, pianist
* Tadhg Cooke, singer
* Phil Coulter, composer

Music - Individuals - D to K

* Damien Dempsey, singer/songwriter
* Dana Rosemary Scallon, MEP-singer turned politician
* Chris de Burgh
* Joe Derrane, button & piano accordions
* Ronnie Drew, singer/guitarist
* Kian Egan, singer of Westlife, songwriter
* Séamus Ennis, uilleann piper
* Enya (real name: Eithne Ní Bhraonáin), singer/songwriter
* Órla Fallon - Singer, Harpist
* Ciarán Farrell, Composer
* Mark Feehily, singer of Westlife, songwriter
* Angela Feeney, Opera Singer
* John Field, composer (creator of the nocturne)
* Shane Filan, singer of Westlife, songwriter
* Jem Finer, banjoist and guitarist
* Mick Flannery, singer/songwriter
* John Fogerty, singer/songwriter best known for his work with Creedence Clearwater Revival
* John Francis, singer/songwriter - (full name John Francis Maher)
* Gavin Friday
* Mark Geary
* W. H. Grattan Flood, Author and Renowned Musicologist
* Rory Gallagher, blues/rock guitarist
* James Galway, flautist
* Frankie Gavin, fiddler
* Bob Geldof, songwriter, singer of the Boomtown Rats, activist
* Bernadette Greevy, mezzo-soprano
* Marc Gunn, autoharper and singer/songwriter of the Brobdingnagian Bards
* Carmel Gunning, tin whistler
* Lisa Hannigan, singer/songwriter
* Glen Hansard, Oscar winning singer/songwriter
* Hamilton Harty, composer and arranger
* Catherine Hayes, Opera Singer
* Gemma Hayes
* Christie Hennessy Singer/Songwriter
* Paul David Hewson, also know as Bono, lead singer and principal lyricist of U2
* Brian Irvine, composer
* Markéta Irglová, Oscar winning singer/songwriter
* Fergus Johnston, Aosdána
* Dolores Keane, singer
* Ronan Keating, singer/songwriter
* Paddy Keenan, uilleann piper
* Lisa Kelly, singer
* Luke Kelly, singer
* Brian Kennedy, singer
* Paddy Killoran, fiddler
* Dave King, singer/songwriter
* David Kitt

Music - Individuals - L to P

* John Lennon (originally 0'Leannain), singer/songwriter, and founding member of The Beatles
* Lil Wyte born Patrick Lanshaw
* Damien Leith, singer/songwriter, winner of Australian Idol 2006
* Josef Locke, singer
* Johnny Logan, singer/songwriter
* Cora Venus Lunny, violinist
* Dónal Lunny
* Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy frontman
* Mickey McConnell, singer/songwriter
* Shane MacGowan, English born singer/songwriter
* Sean Mackin, Backup Vocals and Violinist of Yellowcard
* Sean Maguire, violinist
* Sarah Makem, singer
* Tommy Makem, singer-songwriter
* Enda Markey, Singer
* Philip Martin, pianist, Aosdána
* Paul McCartney singer/songwriter and founding member of The Beatles
* John Count McCormack, singer
* Eleanor McEvoy, singer/songwriter
* Brian McFadden, singer/songwriter
* Barney McKenna, banjo player
* John McKenna, Finance Executive
* John McSherry (musician), Uilleann piper
* Paul McSherry, Guitarist
* Patrick Monahan, Singer/songwriter, solo artiest/member of Train
* Christy Moore, singer/songwriter
* Gary Moore, guitarist/singer/songwriter
* Jim Morrison, singer/songwriter of The Doors
* Van Morrison, singer/songwriter
* Lee Mulhern, singer/songwriter, member of Streetwize
* Samantha Mumba, singer
* Mundy, singer/songwriter
* Ruby Murray, singer
* Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, musician
* Philip Noone, Songwriter
* Turlough O'Carolan, 17th century harpist and composer ("Last of the Bards")
* Maura O'Connell, singer
* Martin O'Connor, accordionist
* Sinéad O'Connor, singer
* Daniel O'Donnell, country-and-western singer
* Mary O'Hara, harpist/singer
* Liam O'Flynn, uilleann piper
* Seán Ó Riada, composer & musician
* Dolores O'Riordan, singer/songwriter/guitarist
* Gilbert O'Sullivan, Pop singer/songwriter/pianist
* Tommy Peoples, fiddler

Music - Individuals - Q - Z

* Carmel Quinn, singer
* Paddy Reilly, singer/guitarist
* Damien Rice, singer-songwriter
* Leo Rowsome, uilleann piper
* Sharon Shannon, traditional musician
* John Sheahan fiddler
* Chris Singleton, singer-songwriter
* Carly Smithson, singer
* Patsy Touhey, piper
* Paddy Tunney, singer
* Mark Underwood, singer/songwriter/guitarist of Yeti
* Andy White, singer/songwriter
* Ian Wilson, Aosdána
* James Wilson, Aosdána
* Martin Wynne, fiddler

Music - Groups

Music - Groups - A to C

* Abaddon Incarnate
* Afro-Celt Sound System
* Agnelli & Nelson
* Alan Anderson
* Altan
* An Emotional Fish (cf Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club)
* An Góilín
* The Answer
* Anúna
* Aosdána
* Ash
* Aslan
* The Bachelors
* Bad Habitz
* Bad Haggis
* Barley Bree
* Bell X1
* Bellefire
* Black 47
* Blink
* The Blizzards
* Blue in Heaven
* The Boomtown Rats
* Boss Volenti
* The Bothy Band
* The Boys of the Lough
* Boyzone, boy band
* The Brent Flood
* The Brilliant Trees
* Brobdingnagian Bards
* Bulraga
* B*Witched
* Cactus World News
* Celtic Legacy
* Celtic Tenors
* Celtic Woman
* Ceoltóirí Chualann
* The Chalets
* Channel One
* Cherish the Ladies
* The Chieftains, traditional music group
* The Clancy Brothers, Irish folk band
* Clannad
* The Commitments
* Compulsion
* The Conway Sisters
* The Corrs
* The Cranberries
* Cruachan
* Cyclefly

Music - Groups - D to K

* Dagda
* Danú
* Déanta
* De Dannan (originally Dé Danann)
* Director
* The Divine Comedy
* Dr. Strangely Strange
*
* The Dubliners, singers/songwriters
* The East Coast Angels
* Energy Orchard
* The Fat Lady Sings
* Fatima Mansions
* Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band
* Fish Go Deep
* Flook
* Foster & Allen
* Four Men and a Dog
* The 4 Of Us
* Four to the Bar
* The Frames
* Fred
* The Fureys
* Future Kings of Spain
* Geasa
* God Talking Soul
* The Golden Horde
* Gráda
* The Groovin' Reels
* Hal
* The High Llamas
* The Hitchers
* Horslips
* Hothouse Flowers
* Kerbdog, rock band
* InFOCUS
* In Tua Nua
* The IRS
* JJ72
* Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club
* Jetplane Landing
* The Johnstons
* Kíla

Music - Groups - L to P

* Language of Flowers
* LeperKhanz
* Lluther
* Vyvienne Long
* Lucid Druid
* Lúnasa
* Mama's Boys
* Marxman
* The Mascara Story
* Mellow Candle
* Microdisney
* The Middlewich Paddies
* Minor Detail
* Mooncoyne
* The Moondogs
* Mourning Beloveth
* Moving Hearts
* The Mumbles
* My Bloody Valentine
* Na Casaidigh
* Nightnoise
* The Nolans
* Oppenheimer
* OTT, boyband
* Owen's, frenchirish band
* The Outcasts
* Panda Kopanda
* Patrick Street
* Pay*Ola
* Planxty
* Podracer
* The Pogues
* The Popes
* Poor Man's Fortune, traditional Irish band
* Power of Dreams
* Primordial
* The Punters

Music - Groups - Q to Z

* The Radiators From Space
* Rare
* Real Friends Break Chairs
* The Redneck Manifesto
* Republic of Loose
* Rodrigo y Gabriela
* Rollerskate Skinny
* Ryan's Fancy
* Sack
* St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band
* The Saw Doctors
* Self Aid
* Seraphim
* Six
* Sixstarhotel
* Skara Brae
* Skelpin
* Skid Row
* Skindive
* Snow Patrol, rock band
* Solas (group)
* Solas (liturgical)
* Something Happens
* Stalag 17
* The Starjets
* Stiff Little Fingers, punk band
* Stockton's Wing
* The Sultans Of Ping FC
* Surly
* Sweeney's Men
* Sweet Savage
* Tamalin
* Taste
* Téada
* That Petrol Emotion
* Them
* Therapy?
* The Thrills
* Those Nervous Animals
* Thin Lizzy
* Tír na nÓg
* Toasted Heretic
* Toxic Waste
* Trinití
* Turn
* The Undertones
* U2
* Venus Envy
* The Answer
* The Vipers
* The Virgin Prunes
* The Waterboys
* Waylander
* Westlife
* Whipping Boy
* Whoopsadaisies
* Wilt
* Wolfe Tones
* Wreck of the Hesperus

Dance

* Jean Butler, Irish Dancer
* Michael Flatley Irish/American step dancer
* Gene Kelly, Irish/American dancer, actor, singer, director, choreographer
* Lola Montez (Eliza Gilbert), dancer, courtesan
* Dame Ninette de Valois, ballet
* Bill Whelan, composer

Writing

Writing - A to C

* Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander
* William Allingham, poet
* John Banville, novelist
* George Barrington
* Sebastian Barry, novelist, Aosdána
* Samuel Beckett, Saoi
* Brendan Behan, playwright, novelist
* Dermot Bolger, novelist, Aosdána
* Clare Boylan, Aosdána
* Patrick Brontë, poet
* J. B. Bury, historian
* William Carleton, novelist
* Marina Carr, Aosdána
* Seathrún Céitinn (Geoffrey Keating)
* Austin Clarke
* Brian Cleeve, author
* Brian Coffey, poet
* Eoin Colfer, author
* Eoghan Corry, journalist and author
* Anthony Cronin, Aosdána

Writing - D to K

* Thomas Osborne Davis, writer, poet
* Seamus Deane, Aosdána
* Eamon Delaney
* Denis Devlin, poet
* Roddy Doyle, novelist
* Margaretta Eagar, memoirist
* Garth Ennis, comic writer
* Sir Samuel Ferguson, poet
* Roderick Flanagan, Historian
* Brian Friel, playwright, Aosdána
* F. Scott Fitzgerald, ((novelist))
* Oliver Goldsmith, novelist and dramatist
* Oliver St. John Gogarty
* Augusta, Lady Gregory, playwright and founder of the Abbey Theatre
* Hugo Hamilton, author
* Dermot Healy, Aosdána
* Randolph Healy, Poet
* Seamus Heaney, Saoi of Aosdána, Nobel Laureate
* Aidan Higgins, Aosdána
* Pat Ingoldsby, poet, playwright, etc.
* Jennifer Johnston, Aosdána
* Neil Jordan, author, film director, Aosdána
* James Joyce, novelist
* Trevor Joyce, poet
* Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, author
* Patrick Kavanagh,poet
* Phil Kelly, author
* Benedict Kiely, Saoi of Aosdána
* Caitlín R. Kiernan, American novelist and paleontologist
* Sister Mary Frances Cusack, the "Nun of Kenmare", patriot and controversialist

Writing - L to P

* Mary Lavin, Saoi of Aosdána
* Francis Ledwidge, poet
* Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, gothic novelist
* C. S. Lewis (author of the Chronicles of Narnia)
* Michael Longley, Aosdána
* Seosamh Mac Grianna, Gaelic author
* Walter Macken, novelist
* James Clarence Mangan, poet
* Malachi Martin, horror writer
* Edward Martyn, playwright, art patron and political activist
* Frank McCourt, writer
* Martin McDonagh, playwright
* John McGahern, novelist, Aosdána
* Frank McGuinness, Aosdána
* Gerard McKeown, writer
* John Montague, poet
* Thomas Moore, poet
* Paul Muldoon, poet
* Richard Murphy, poet, Aosdána
* Christopher Nolan, poet, Aosdána
* Edna O'Brien, novelist, Aosdána
* Seán O'Casey, playwright
* Frank O'Connor, short story writer
* Ulick O'Connor, Aosdána
* Máirtín Ó Díreáin, great Irish-language poet,Aosdána
* Seán Ó Faoláin, Saoi of Aosdána
* Liam O'Flaherty, novelist, short story writer
* Brian O'Nolan (aka Myles na gCopaleen, Flann O'Brien), novelist/columnist
* James Plunkett, Aosdána

Writing - R to Z

* George William Russell, (known under the pen-name AE), writer and critic
* Maurice Scully, poet
* George Bernard Shaw, novelist, playwright
* Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright
* James Simmons poet
* Michael Smith, poet
* Geoffrey Squires, poet
* Laurence Sterne, novelist
* Bram Stoker, author of Dracula
* Francis Stuart, Saoi of Aosdána
* Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, novelist and satirist
* John Millington Synge, dramatist
* William Trevor, writer, Aosdána
* Mark Underwood, screenwriter
* William Wall, novelist, poet
* Oscar Wilde, novelist, poet, satirist
* William Butler Yeats, poet and Nobel laureate

Business

* Donie Cassidy, businessman and TD
* Niall FitzGerald, honorary KBE, chief executive Unilever
* Veronica Guerin, journalist, murdered by drug-dealers in 1996
* Arthur Guinness, brewer
* Eddie Hobbs, financial guru, presenter of "Show Me the Money" and "Rip-Off Republic"
* Phil Kelly,multi-millionaire entrepreneur, Author " Asia 360 -The Culture of Building Business in Asia"
* Pat McDonagh, founder of Supermac's
* Dermot Mannion, CEO of Aer Lingus
* Denis O'Brien, highly successful entrepreneur and founder of Esat Telecom
* Michael O'Leary, colourful CEO of Ryanair
* David J. O'Reilly, CEO of Chevron
* Anthony J F O'Reilly - Independent Newspapers and head of Heinz, 1979-1996
* Seán Quinn - multi-millionaire entrepreneur
* Tony Ryan, founder of Ryanair and Guinness Peat Aviation
* Peter Sutherland, Chairman of BP Plc, and Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and formerly Ireland's representative at the European Commission

Politics

Science, Education and Technology

* Henry Ford , Designer of the automobile in America and redesigner of the assembly line that dramatically changed American industry forever.
* Thomas Andrews, chemist & physicist
* Vincent Barry (1908-1975), led a team that discovered a treatment for leprosy Fact|date=May 2008
* Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), hydrographer, developed a scale for classifying wind strength
* John Stewart Bell (1928-1990), atomic physicist, 'Bell's Inequalities'
* John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971), X-ray crystallography
* George Boole (1815-1864), inventor of Boolean algebra
* Robert Boyle (1627-1691), pioneer scientist, 'Boyle's Law'
* Louis Brennan (1852-1932), principle of a guided missile, wire-guided torpedo
* Pádraig de Brún (1889-1960), scholar and mathematician
* Lucien Bull (1876-1972), high speed photography, modern electrocardiogram (ECG)
* Jocelyn Bell Burnell (1943- ), discovered pulsars
* Nicholas Callan (1799-1864), inventor of the induction coil and discoverer the principle of the dynamo (See link: http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/~eugeniik/history/callan.html)
* Aeneas Coffey (1780-1852), heat exchanger, inventor of the Coffey still
* William Monad Crawford, entomologist
* William Dargan, railway engineer
* Frederick G. Donnan, chemist
* James J. Drumm, chemist, inventor of the Drumm nickel-zinc batteryFact|date=May 2008
* Michael Everson, expert in writing systems and Unicode, born in USA
* Henry George Ferguson, engineer, designer of the modern farm tractor, inventor of the three-point hitch
* George Francis FitzGerald (1851-1901), theoretical physicist, 'Fitzgerald-Lorenz Contraction'
* John Robert Gregg (1868-1948), Gregg shorthand system
* Sir John Purser Griffith (1848-1938) Chief engineer for Dublin port and Irish Free State senator (1922-1936)Fact|date=May 2008
* William Rowan Hamilton, quaternions; mathematical physics
* John Phillip Holland (1841-1914), submarine designer
* Ellen Hutchins (1785-1815), botanist
* John Joly (1857-1933), photometer, colour photography
* Lord Kelvin - see William Thomson
* Richard Kirwan (1733-1812), meteorologist
* Robert Mallet (1810-1881), seismology
* Sir James Martin (1893-1981), aircraft ejector seat Fact|date=May 2008
* Alexander Mitchell (1780-1868), lighthouse and marine engineer
* David Murray (1983-), beep club
* Richard O'Keefe, computer scientist
* Frank Pantridge, Inventor of the mobile defibrilator
* Francis Rynd (1811-1861), doctor and inventor of the hypodermic needle and syringe Fact|date=May 2008
* George Stokes (1819-1903), mathematician, physicist, 'Stokes Theorem' and Stokes-Navier Equations'
* George Johnstone Stoney (1826-1911), atomic physicist, named the 'electron' and measured its charge
* John Lighton Synge (1897-1995), mathematician
* William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), physicist
* John Tyndall (1820-1893), physicist
* Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton, physicist, 1951 Nobel Prize in Physics
* Mary Ward (1827-1869), microscopist
* John Walker (1841-1910), principle and forerunner of the caterpillar track
* John Richardson Wigham (1829-1906), inventor and lighthouse engineer

Sport

* Packie Bonner, footballer
* George Best, footballer
* Andre Botha (cricketer)
* Tom Brady quarterback for the New England Patriots of the NFL
* Jeremy Bray (cricketer)
* Andrew Bree, swimmer
* Brian Burke, general manager of the Anaheim Ducks (National Hockey League)
* John Pius Boland - double Olympic medal-winner/tennis,1896
* Nicky Byrne, footballer, singer of Westlife
* Kenny Carroll, cricketer
* Michael Carruth, Olympic gold medal winner/boxing
* Eamonn Coghlan, runner
* Liam Daish, footballer
* Gordon D'Arcy, rugby union player
* Paul Darragh - showjumper
* Ronnie Delany - Olympic medal winner/athletics
* Ken Doherty, former World Snooker champion
* Mick Doyle - rugby union player
* Mick Doyle - Muay Thai and kickboxing
* Damien Duff, footballer
* Eamon Dunphy, former soccer player, media commentator and broadcaster
* Seamus Elliott, professional cyclist
* Dave Finlay, current WWE wrestler
* Sharon Foley, track and field athlete
* Mick Galwey, rugby player and coach
* Edmond Gibney, equestrian
* Shay Given, footballer
* Johnny Giles, footballer
* Peter Gillespie, cricketer
* Pádraig Harrington, golfer
* Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, 19th century mountaineer
* Denis Hickie, rugby player
* Ellen Hutchins, botanist
* Eddie Jordan, racing driver and Formula 1 team owner
* Trent Johnston, cricketer
* Robbie Keane, footballer
* Roy Keane, footballer
* Seán Kelly, cyclist
* Andy Keogh, footballer
* Michael Kinane, jockey
* Ham Lambert - rugby union and cricket player
* Dave Langford-Smith, cricketer
* Alan Lewis, rugby referee
* Eddie Macken, horse showjumper
* Owen Madden (footballer)
* Daniel Martin (cyclist)
* Dave McAuley, boxer
* Kevin McBride, boxer
* Willie John McBride - rugby union player
* Kyle McCallan, cricketer
* David McCann, cyclist
* Mick McCarthy - former Republic of Ireland football manager
* Wayne McCullough - Olympic Silver Medalist/Boxing
* John McEnroe, former World's No. 1 tennis player
* Paul McGinley, golfer
* Paul McGrath, footballer
* Barry McGuigan, former world Featherweight boxing champion
* Catherina McKiernan, athlete
* Jimmy McLarnin, boxer
* John Mooney (cricketer)
* Paul Mooney (cricketer)
* Eoin Morgan, cricketer
* Geordan Murphy - rugby union player
* Kevin O'Brien (cricketer)
* Niall O'Brien (cricketer)
* Vincent O'Brien - Voted Greatest horse trainer of all time by Racing Post
* Pat O'Callaghan - Olympic gold medal/hammer, 1928, 1932
* Patrick O'Connell - Real Betis/FC Barcelona manager, 1930s
* Paul O'Connell, rugby player
* Cian O'Connor - show jumper who had Olympic gold medal taken from him
* Brian O'Driscoll - rugby union player
* Ronan O'Gara, rugby union player
* Malcolm O'Kelly, rugby union player
* Jonjo O'Neill, jockey
* Tony O'Reilly - rugby union player
* Derval O' Rourke- World Indoor Champion and European Silver Medalist
* William Porterfield, cricketer
* Peter O'Sullevan - horse racing commentator
* Gillian O' Sullivan, World Championships Silver Medalist
* Sonia O'Sullivan, Olympic silver medalist
* Niall Quinn, footballer
* Boyd Rankin, cricketer
* Nicholas Roche, cyclist
* Stephen Roche, cyclist
* Alain Rolland, rugby referee
* Glenn Ross, Strongman
* Mark Scanlon, cyclist
* Tom Sharkey, boxer
* Michelle Smith - Multi gold medalist 1996 Olympics
* Des Smyth - golfer.
* Steve Staunton, footballer
* Jim Stynes - Champion Australian rules footballer
* Bob Tisdall - Olympic gold medal/400mH, 1932
* John Treacy - Olympic silver medal/marathon, 1984
* Ruby Walsh, jockey
* Andrew White (cricketer)
* Keith Wood, rugby union player
* Eddie Irvine - Formula 1 driver

Criminals

*Martin Brennan - member of The Gopher Gang
*James J. Bulger - mobster and fugitive
*Frank James Burke - mobster son of Jimmy Burke
*Jimmy Burke - mobster associate in New York
*John Connolly - FBI agent turned mobster associate
*James Coonan - leader of The Westies
*Vincent Coll - mobster assassin
*Danny Greene - mobster associate
*Henry Hill mobster associate of Jimmy Burke*Cornelius Hughes - mobster
*Owney Madden - mobster and Al Capone rival
*William H. Bonney - better known as Billy the Kid
*George McLaughlin - brother of Edward, mobster
*Edward McLaughlin- brother of George, mobster
*Hughie Mulligan - member of The Westies
*Bernard "Bernie" McLaughlin- brother of George and Edward, mobster
*Russell Nicholson - ex-cop turned reputed mobster
*Mickey Spillane - independent Irish mobster
*William Walker - member of The Westies
*Kevin Weeks - Irish mobster
*Howie Winter - leader of the Winter Hill Gang

Others

* St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
* Sean Murphy Of 5th year, Largy College
* Steve Allen - Irish/American musician, comedian, writer and first host of The Tonight Show
* Eamonn Andrews - TV personality, producer and businessman
* Todd Andrews - civil servant
* Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
* George Berkeley - philosopher
* Jim Boyle
* Seán Brady - Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
* St. Brigid - Irish saint and bishop
* Gay Byrne - broadcaster and presenter of the Late Late Show (1962-1999)
* Erica Campbell
* Nellie Cashman, gold prospector in the United States; born in County Cork
* Harry Clarke - stained glass artist
* Desmond Connell - Roman Catholic Cardinal of Ireland
* Tom Crean - explorer
* Jose de Ribas, Imperial Russian Admiral, wars with Ottomans
* Bishop James Doyle known as 'JKL'.
* Jim Duffy - Irish advisor to Australia's Republic Advisory Committee
* Margaretta Eagar - Limerick Born Governess to the last Russian Royal Family
* Robin Eames - Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
* Johannes Scotus Erigena - theologian (b. 810)
* Michael Anthony Fleming - Bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland
* Brian Gibbons
* Lady Mary Heath - early aviator
* Sir William Johnson
* Pat Kenny - broadcaster & presenter of the Late Late Show (1999-present)
* Lord Killanin, former head of the International Olympic Committee
* Peter Lacy - Russian Field Marshal
* James Larkin - labour leader
* Eliza Lynch, mistress of Francisco López, Paraguayan dictator
* Catherine McAuley - founder the Sisters of Mercy
* Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh
* Catherine McGuinness - Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland, President of the Law Reform Commission - [http://www.lawreform.ie]
* Edward McLysaght - Chief Herald of Ireland, 1943-54
* Martin Maher - Famed cadet instructor at United States Military Academy at West Point
* Diarmuid Martin - Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
* Edward Martyn - co-founder of the Irish Literary Theatre
* Michael Moore - Oscar winning Irish/American documentary filmmaker
* Dermot Morgan - satirist and star of Father Ted
* Kevin Murphy, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner
* Graham Norton - TV personality and actor
* Grace O'Malley - Granuaile, pirate queen
* Dermot O'Neill, magazine editor, author of gardening books, presenter of TV gardening shows
* Emily O'Reilly - journalist, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner
* Kitty O'Shea - mistress of Charles Stewart Parnell
* St. Patrick - British born Irish patron saint
* Sir Horace Plunkett - founder of co-operative movement
* Ernest Shackleton - explorer
* Gerard Slevin - Chief Herald of Ireland, 1954-81
* Ed Sullivan - Irish/American entertainment writer and television host
* Timothy Smiddy - academic, economist, Ireland's first ambassador
* Philip Treacy - milliner
* Ryan Tubridy - entertainer
* Terry Wogan - TV and radio "personality"
* Nina Williams - An assassin from the Tekken series.

See also

*Irish cities and Towns
**List of Cork people
**List of Donegal people
**List of Dublin people
**List of Galway people
**List of Kilkenny people
**List of Limerick people
**List of Sligo people

*Irish universities
**List of Dublin City University people
**List of National University of Ireland, Galway people
**List of Queen's University, Belfast people (Northern Ireland)
**List of University College Dublin people
**List of University of Dublin people

*Other lists
* List of Irish botanical illustrators
**List of people on stamps of Ireland
**List of people by nationality
**Lists of Irish-Americans
**Irish American
**Irish Australian
**Irish Canadian
**Irish Quebecers

Related links

* [http://www.european-people.com/Irish/Irish.html Irish people]